Dispensing tools have been available for a number of years, assisting in the application of material to a desired surface in residential, commercial, or manufacturing environments. Such materials include, for example, adhesives, lubricants, and sealants such as, silicone, urethanes, and caulk. Conventional dispensing tools frequently visualized are of the type of a handheld caulk gun 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Cartridges 12 shown in FIG. 2 having any number of different types of materials, including those listed above are inserted into a cartridge support sleeve 14 located on the top side of the dispensing tool 10. A trigger 16 on the gun 10 when actuated drives a rack 18 having a plunger 20 that engages the material located in the cartridge 12 such that each actuation of the trigger, forces material to be dispensed from a nozzle 22 located at an end 24 of the cartridge.
A more modern dispensing tool for applying various materials, including those materials listed above is a power dispensing gun 30, having a battery, pneumatic, or other means for powering motor for portable use is illustrated in FIG. 3. The power dispensing gun 30 is also capable of using the cartridges 12 filled with dispensing material by inserting the cartridges 12 into a support sleeve 32 located on the top of the power dispensing gun 30. A trigger 34 on the power dispensing gun 30 is actuated, driving a rack 36 having a plunger 38 that engages the material located in the cartridge 12 such that each actuation of the trigger forces material to be dispensed from a nozzle 40 located at the end 42 of the gun. Further details of the operation and configuration of a power dispensing gun is explained in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/918,689 entitled POWERED DISPENSING TOOL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME that is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Cartridges 12 are not the only form of container for holding material used by the dispensing guns 10, 30, but another known type of container is a sausage pack or bag-type container 50 shown in FIG. 4. The sausage pack 50 includes a first and second ends 52, 54, respectively extending from a main body 56 having dispensing material therein. The sausage pack 50 is positioned in a housing tube 58 located on the guns 10, 30 in place of the cartridge support sleeves 14, 32, respectively as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7. The sausage pack 50 once inserted into the guns has an opening 60 (shown in phantom is typically formed from removal of a containment ring or by piercing the sausage pack) toward the nozzle 22, 40 and the plunger 20, 38 squeezes the material out the nozzle when the trigger 16, 34 is engaged.
One example of a dispensing tool having interchanging support sleeves includes U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/973,242 filed on Oct. 5, 2007 entitled DISPENSING TOOL that is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The '242 application illustrates a system for interchanging support sleeves from a cartridge-type dispenser to a sausage pack dispenser and vice versa as desired by the operator on a single power dispenser.
Sausage packs 50 are typically more economical because of their cheaper fabrication. As a result, the sausage packs 50 are typically used more frequently in high volume commercial and manufacturing operations over conventional cartridges 12 in material dispensing guns.